Firm Grip Can Predict Longer Life

Seniors who can still give a firm handshake and walk at a brisk pace are likely to live longer than those who can’t, according to Medical Research Council, a publicly funded research organization in London. Researchers found simple measures of physical capability were related to life span among older adults, even after accounting for age, gender, and body size.

The study, appearing in the British Medical Journal, is the first to provide a comprehensive view of the existing research by pooling all the relevant data. It analyzed grip strength, walking speed, time to get up from a chair and ability to balance on one leg, mostly in people 70 years and older, and looked at mortality from all causes.